On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump took the stage at his inauguration and vowed to stop unauthorized border crossings while initiating the process of deporting “millions and millions of criminal aliens” back to their home countries.
Over the past year, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune have closely monitored the developments of this initiative to remove immigrants across the United States. This investigation involved collecting data that the government either withheld or failed to track, including the number of U.S. citizens detained by immigration officials. The team analyzed the crowd-control tactics employed by federal agents in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, and spoke with families of immigrants who were sent to Guantanamo Bay. Following the administration’s decision to transfer over 230 men to a high-security prison in El Salvador, a collaboration with Venezuelan journalists ensued to gather records and exclusive data from the U.S. government. While the administration labeled these individuals as the “worst of the worst,” the findings revealed that most had no criminal records in the United States.
The push for mass deportation stands out as one of the Trump administration’s key achievements during its first year. With border crossings significantly declining, the daily number of individuals in detention has reached unprecedented levels. As federal agents conduct operations across various U.S. cities and towns, officials maintain that this extensive, multibillion-dollar initiative is enhancing national security.
Reporter Perla Trevizo provides an in-depth analysis of the tumultuous first year of Trump’s mass deportation strategy. Has the administration delivered on its promises, and if so, what has been the impact?
To delve deeper, viewers can watch the accompanying video, which features narration and reporting from Perla Trevizo of ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. The production team included Mauricio Rodríguez Pons, who contributed additional reporting and graphics, while Lisa Riordan Seville served as the senior producer.
A collaborative effort involved numerous contributors from ProPublica, including Mica Rosenberg, Melissa Sanchez, Jeff Ernsthausen, Nicole Foy, McKenzie Funk, Gabriel Sandoval, Jodi S. Cohen, A.C. Thompson, J. David McSwane, Sebastian Rotella, T. Christian Miller, Mariam Elba, Joanna Shan, Haley Clark, Cengiz Yar, Kirsten Berg, Mario Ariza, Pratheek Rebala, Nick McMillan, Sarahbeth Maney, Rob Davis, Lomi Kriel, Maryam Jameel, Ruth Talbot, and Hannah Allam, all of whom played a role in reporting, research, and data analysis.
Additionally, Ronna Rísquez of Alianza Rebelde Investiga, Adrián González of Cazadores de Fake News, Andrea Morales of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, Rafael Carranza of Arizona Luminaria, Gabrielle Schonder and Tim Grucza of FRONTLINE, along with independent journalists Carlos Centeno, Adriana Núñez Moros, Gabriel Pasquini, Kate Morrissey, and Coral Murphy Marcos, contributed valuable research and reporting to this project.
